Continuing my braalian designs from [here] and [here], braalian feathers be upon ye!
"Hair" is all kiwi-like feathers, including eyebrows.
(Babies are more likely to have heads of 'dandelion fluff'.)
The four mini-heads, from left-to-right are labelled:
Shame/contrite/embarrassed (this one also has an arrow pointing to it saying 'slicked down')
Braalians emote with their feathers. Anger will make them fluff up, but not as much as fear.
Other details not included because of space:
Braalian babies are more likely to have 'dandelion fluff' due to having baby feathers! (Think like penguins and the like.)
How old braalians are when they shed the baby fluff and grow out their adult feathers varies due to genetics, but it's usually no later than 8 and no earlier than 4. (There are rare instances of the baby fluff persisting to age 10, but it's shockingly rare.)
How close the baby fluff of a braalian is in color to their adult feathers depends on genetics. Baby fluff being super pale while the adult feathers are really dark (or vice versa) isn't uncommon, so claw color is usually taken as the main indicator of how dark or light the adult feathers will be.
Because braalians emote with their feathers, there are all sorts of cultural specifics of 'politeness' around said emoting.
Some braalian cultures prize keeping feather-emoting as contained as possible (especially with things like anger, irritation, contempt, etc.) and so would have the concept of 'impolite bristling'.
Other braalian cultures may view someone who keeps their feather-emoting 'too' constrained as untrustworthy and someone who tries to manipulate others.
How emotive an individual is with their feathers depends on that specific individual, their cultural background, and the circumstances they're in and how they respond to said circumstances.
There are health conditions that induce scalp paralysis, which is often regarded as a tragedy in most braalian cultures. Partial scalp paralysis is regarded as less of a problem than whole scalp paralysis.
Some individuals (depending on genetics) can fluff parts of their scalp independently of other parts (think the equivalent of someone who can raise a single eyebrow at will or wiggle their ears). Depending on their level of control, they may be able to create an effect that makes it look like they have a mohawk.
Braalians don't shed feathers as frequently as humans shed hair. If they get too stressed though, they'll start dropping feathers more frequently.
Some braalians have curly feathers. Depending on how curly they are (and if the individual is around others who are entirely unfamiliar with curly feathers), the individual's feather-emoting may seem muddled or hard to read.
How long braalian feathers can get depends on genetics; roughly chin-length is average, but it is possible to have feathers that naturally grow to a much shorter or much longer length (and there are likely record-holders for both). How long an individual keeps their feathers trimmed to is a matter of personal preference and culture.
And for character-specifics:
Rokk is the sort of person who tries to keep his feather-emoting locked down tight and at as polite a tilt as he can manage. He doesn't always succeed, but he maintains just the right balance of controlled enough without being overly controlled to generally be read as even-keel, self-assured, and confident in what he's doing. (In reality, he's extremely hesitant about being willing to be read by people he's not close to, and he's very well-practiced in being mindful of the image he's projecting.)
Dyrk is a little more free with his feather-emoting than Rokk but, due to his less-than-stellar relationship with his older brother Omar, is far more likely to resort to a slicked-down irritation paired with a deadpan tone when he's less than thrilled with someone. (Omar, by comparison, is much more likely to keep his feathers slightly fluffed like what Dyrk would term a 'smarmy arrogant scroach level'.)
